2011 Bahrain Grand Prix
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Bahrain Grand Prix (formally the 2011 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix) was scheduled to be the opening round for the 2011 Formula One season
. Planned to be held on 13 March 2011 at the Bahrain International Circuit
in Sakhir
, Bahrain
, it was postponed on 21 February 2011 due to local civil unrest. On 3 June, it was announced that the race would be held on 30 October, thus making it round 17 of the 20 to be held during 2011. Following controversy over the reinstatement of the race, organisers of the Grand Prix abandoned their bid to host a race in 2011.
race were redeployed to hospitals in Manama
, forcing the cancellation of the Thursday practice session. Later that day, it was announced that the whole weekend would be cancelled at the request of the local motoring federation.
Chief executive of the Bahrain Internation Circuit Prince Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa stated that everything possible would be done to ensure that the race went ahead. Bernie Ecclestone
, CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, stated that he hoped that talks with Al Khalifa would ease his fears that the event might be cancelled. Vice President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab
said that it would be hard to bring a quick end to the protests. Ecclestone stated that a decision on the race would be made by 23 February, saying that if the situation had not calmed down by then, the event would probably be cancelled. However, protesters were quoted stating that "the only reason" the Crown Prince was willing to talk with the protestors was for the sake of holding the race.
On 21 February 2011, it was announced that the race had been postponed due to the ongoing protests and the championships rescheduled to begin in Australia
. The organisers were later given until 1 May to decide whether they want to proceed with the race at a later date. The Bahrain race officials released a statement one day later that they were hopeful of rescheduling the Grand Prix.
On 2 May 2011, Bernie Ecclestone
extended the deadline to 3 June. Autosport later reported that the FIA was exploring the possibility of moving the Indian Grand Prix
to the final race of the season with a provisional date of 4 December, and holding the Bahrain Grand Prix on the Indian Grand Prix's original date of 30 October.
At a meeting of the World Motorsports Council on 3 June, FIA members unanimously voted to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix
to the calendar on the planned date of 30 October. The decision was controversial, with Mercedes GP
team principal Ross Brawn
stating that a December finale was unacceptable, while human rights
interest groups and activists criticised the FIA for the reinstatement in light of the ongoing political upheaval in the country. Red Bull Racing
driver Mark Webber
expressed also his concerns over the human rights conditions and stated that he would have hoped for the sport to have taken a firmer stance on the affair. Several other drivers expressed a willingness to race on the condition that their safety could be guaranteed amid reports that widespread protests were being planned for the day of the race. In response to this, FIA president Jean Todt
promised that the sport's governing body would monitor the situation in Bahrain carefully, leaving open the possibility of a cancellation should the country deterioriate ahead of the race, while commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone
called for a second vote to take place, restoring the Indian Grand Prix
to its original October date and moving the Bahrain Grand Prix back to the season finale in December. According to former FIA
president Max Mosley
, the rescheduling of the race would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. It has been reported that the Formula One Teams Association
(FOTA) is opposed to rescheduling the race to 30 October on logistical grounds, but are willing to discuss an end-of-season berth for the race instead. On 8 June, Bernie Ecclestone stated that he felt the race would not go ahead because the FIA had overlooked Rule 66 of the Sporting Code, which states that "no amendments can be made to the arrangements for a championship after entries open without the agreement of all competitors." The FIA later asked Ecclestone to submit a new calendar proposal after they were informed by FOTA that holding the Bahrain Grand Prix on 30 October was "impractical".
One week after the WMSC voted to return the race to the calendar, organisers for the Bahrain Grand Prix officially abandoned their bid to return to the calendar.
2011 Formula One season
The 2011 Formula One season was the 62nd FIA Formula One season. The original calendar consisted of twenty rounds, including the inaugural running of the Indian Grand Prix before the cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Pirelli returned to the sport as tyre supplier for all teams, taking over...
. Planned to be held on 13 March 2011 at the Bahrain International Circuit
Bahrain International Circuit
The Bahrain International Circuit is a motorsport venue opened in 2004 and used for drag racing, GP2 and the annual Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2004 Grand Prix was the first held in the Middle East. Since 2006, Australian V8 Supercar has been raced at the BIC and the V8 races are named as the Desert 400...
in Sakhir
Sakhir
Sakhir is a desert area located in the Kingdom of Bahrain, near Zallaq. It contains the Al-Sakhir Palace, built in 1870. In the past few years, it has seen many changes such as the creation of the University of Bahrain main campus, al-Areen Wildlife Park, and Bahrain International Circuit. In...
, Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
, it was postponed on 21 February 2011 due to local civil unrest. On 3 June, it was announced that the race would be held on 30 October, thus making it round 17 of the 20 to be held during 2011. Following controversy over the reinstatement of the race, organisers of the Grand Prix abandoned their bid to host a race in 2011.
Postponement
On 16 February 2011, civil unrest broke out in Bahrain as part of a series of protests across North Africa and the Middle East. As a result of the unrest, medical staff due to attend the practice session in the Bahrain GP2 Asia SeriesGP2 Asia Series
The GP2 Asia Series is a form of open wheel motor racing based on the GP2 series.The series was officially announced during the weekend of the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. GP2 series organiser Bruno Michel commented that "It is of great importance that the GP2 Asia Series maintains a strong and viable...
race were redeployed to hospitals in Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, forcing the cancellation of the Thursday practice session. Later that day, it was announced that the whole weekend would be cancelled at the request of the local motoring federation.
Chief executive of the Bahrain Internation Circuit Prince Salman ibn Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa stated that everything possible would be done to ensure that the race went ahead. Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
, CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, stated that he hoped that talks with Al Khalifa would ease his fears that the event might be cancelled. Vice President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab
Nabeel Rajab was one of the founders of the first migrant workers protection committee in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Migrant Workers Protection Group ....
said that it would be hard to bring a quick end to the protests. Ecclestone stated that a decision on the race would be made by 23 February, saying that if the situation had not calmed down by then, the event would probably be cancelled. However, protesters were quoted stating that "the only reason" the Crown Prince was willing to talk with the protestors was for the sake of holding the race.
On 21 February 2011, it was announced that the race had been postponed due to the ongoing protests and the championships rescheduled to begin in Australia
2011 Australian Grand Prix
The 2011 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 27 March 2011 at the Albert Park Circuit in Melbourne. It was the 76th race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix that dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928...
. The organisers were later given until 1 May to decide whether they want to proceed with the race at a later date. The Bahrain race officials released a statement one day later that they were hopeful of rescheduling the Grand Prix.
Provisional reinstatement and cancellation
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
extended the deadline to 3 June. Autosport later reported that the FIA was exploring the possibility of moving the Indian Grand Prix
2011 Indian Grand Prix
The 2011 Indian Grand Prix, formally the 2011 Formula 1 Airtel Grand Prix of India, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 30 October 2011 at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India...
to the final race of the season with a provisional date of 4 December, and holding the Bahrain Grand Prix on the Indian Grand Prix's original date of 30 October.
At a meeting of the World Motorsports Council on 3 June, FIA members unanimously voted to reinstate the Bahrain Grand Prix
Bahrain Grand Prix
The Bahrain Grand Prix is a Formula One Championship race which first took place at the Bahrain International Circuit on 4 April 2004.The Bahrain Grand Prix, sponsored by Gulf Air, made history as the first Formula One Grand Prix to be held in the Middle East...
to the calendar on the planned date of 30 October. The decision was controversial, with Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP
Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team, the trading name of Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Limited, is a British-based Formula One racing team and constructor, owned by Mercedes-Benz and racing under a German licence since the 2010 season....
team principal Ross Brawn
Ross Brawn
Ross James Brawn OBE is an English motorsport engineer and Formula One team principal. He has worked for a number of Formula One teams, serving as the technical director of the championship-winning Benetton and Ferrari teams. He took a sabbatical from the sport in 2007 but returned to F1 for the...
stating that a December finale was unacceptable, while human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
interest groups and activists criticised the FIA for the reinstatement in light of the ongoing political upheaval in the country. Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing
Red Bull Racing is a Formula One racing team based in Milton Keynes, England which currently holds an Austrian licence. It is, along with Scuderia Toro Rosso, one of two teams owned by beverage company Red Bull GmbH. The team have won two Constructors' Championship titles, in and , becoming the...
driver Mark Webber
Mark Webber
Mark Alan Webber is an Australian Formula One driver.After some racing success in Australia, Webber moved to the United Kingdom in 1995 to further his motorsport career...
expressed also his concerns over the human rights conditions and stated that he would have hoped for the sport to have taken a firmer stance on the affair. Several other drivers expressed a willingness to race on the condition that their safety could be guaranteed amid reports that widespread protests were being planned for the day of the race. In response to this, FIA president Jean Todt
Jean Todt
Jean Todt was born on February 25, 1946, in Pierrefort, Cantal, France. After a successful career as a rally co-driver he made his reputation in motor sport management, first with Peugeot Talbot Sport, then with Scuderia Ferrari, before being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Ferrari from 2004...
promised that the sport's governing body would monitor the situation in Bahrain carefully, leaving open the possibility of a cancellation should the country deterioriate ahead of the race, while commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone
Bernie Ecclestone
Bernard Charles "Bernie" Ecclestone is an English business magnate, as president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration and through his part-ownership of Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. As such, he is generally considered the primary...
called for a second vote to take place, restoring the Indian Grand Prix
Indian Grand Prix
The Indian Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Buddh International Circuit in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India...
to its original October date and moving the Bahrain Grand Prix back to the season finale in December. According to former FIA
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
president Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
, the rescheduling of the race would require the unanimous agreement of the teams. It has been reported that the Formula One Teams Association
Formula One Teams Association
The Formula One Teams Association is a group of Formula One teams that was formed at a meeting in Maranello on 29 July 2008. This organisation gives the teams a united voice in their ongoing discussions with the FIA and The Formula One Group regarding the future of Formula One. It is headed by...
(FOTA) is opposed to rescheduling the race to 30 October on logistical grounds, but are willing to discuss an end-of-season berth for the race instead. On 8 June, Bernie Ecclestone stated that he felt the race would not go ahead because the FIA had overlooked Rule 66 of the Sporting Code, which states that "no amendments can be made to the arrangements for a championship after entries open without the agreement of all competitors." The FIA later asked Ecclestone to submit a new calendar proposal after they were informed by FOTA that holding the Bahrain Grand Prix on 30 October was "impractical".
One week after the WMSC voted to return the race to the calendar, organisers for the Bahrain Grand Prix officially abandoned their bid to return to the calendar.